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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · season · shower · stock · bound · perch · lie · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — shares
  20. season — in sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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