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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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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 · rule · cap · racket · sharp · stock · row · perch

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — clever
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. row — a line
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — in football
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stock — shares
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a hat
  24. racket — for tennis

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