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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
468
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: calf · row · charge · field · can · wind · stock · perch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — in control
  6. stock — goods
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — electricity

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