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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · content · stock · lash · bay · prune · perch · mug

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — a country
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — shares
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. perch — the fish

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