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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: foot · land · nail · safe · stock · pit · fan · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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 — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — ground
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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