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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 · can · board · stock · pass · content · rash · wax

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — shares
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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