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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.

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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: mug · stock · perch · clip · can · march · mate · craft

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mate — to breed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — the fish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. clip — to cut
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. march — the month
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — boats

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