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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 116 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: perch · rest · stock · spring · bowl · content · plane · pit

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stock — shares
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — a break
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pit — a hole
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — the season
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pit — in a race
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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