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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
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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: perch · tube · ball · saw · mug · game · last · stock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — wild animals
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — final
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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