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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 120 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 · season · bear · wound · trunk · suit · perch · deal

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. suit — to fit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — shares
  24. deal — an agreement

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