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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: wake · perch · snap · stock · file · pop · craft · stick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — music
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — goods
  5. craft — boats
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stock — shares
  8. file — a document
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. perch — the fish
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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