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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: hand · perch · roll · scale · sharp · stock · fork · wave

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — a cake
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. hand — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — goods
  22. hand — help
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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