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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: game · stick · stock · perch · tube · season · lean · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — in sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stock — shares
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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