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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: kick · tube · current · stock · wake · perch · board · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — shares
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stock — goods
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. current — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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