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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: stock · fall · kick · saw · bank · perch · drill · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — shares
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — goods
  10. kick — in football
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — army training
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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