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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: stock · stem · mouse · fan · rock · jam · perch · swing

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — goods
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stem — to come from
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — a stem cell

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