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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: perch · date · fall · track · arm · ball · stock · bark

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — the season
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — a soup base

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