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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: cap · perch · rule · rash · march · stock · branch · rush

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rule — government
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — a law
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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