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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 120 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
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: mark · calf · leaves · kid · racket · stock · fine · perch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — shares
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. calf — of the leg

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