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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · fork · stock · fan · perch · date · court · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — a country
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — to come down
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. court — of a king
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. court — of law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — in a road

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