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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 · trunk · perch · fall · march · cue · kick · mark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. march — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — a grade
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — a hint
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. stock — shares
  24. kick — a thrill

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