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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: coach · stock · saw · nail · court · stand · perch · bark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of a king
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — to shout
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — shares

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