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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: cap · perch · can · ground · toast · stock · mug · hand

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a hat
  3. toast — bread
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — a face
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hand — in cards
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — a position
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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