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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: lean · staff · trunk · perch · scale · mark · race · stock

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stock — shares
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — the fish
  20. race — a contest
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mark — a grade
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — thin

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