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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 120 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.

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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: bay · kick · face · bark · mouse · stock · foot · perch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — to confront
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bark — to shout
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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