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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 116 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: stock · suit · hand · fine · content · perch · coach · wake

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. fine — high quality
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hand — help
  7. suit — clothes
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — shares
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — all right
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. perch — the fish

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