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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bowl · coach · branch · racket · patient · stock · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — goods
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — shares
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — the amount
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com