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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
468
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: season · perch · bank · fork · stock · bat · bass · bark

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. season — in sport
  9. stock — shares
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — goods
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bank — of a river

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