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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: stock · perch · charge · cell · board · straw · scale · dip

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. charge — in control
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in biology
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — size or range
  9. charge — a price
  10. cell — a phone
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — to get on
  16. perch — the fish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stock — goods
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. scale — in music

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