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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: bore · mark · craft · perch · pound · chest · stock · dip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chest — a box
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. craft — boats
  6. stock — shares
  7. bore — to drill
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — for dogs

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