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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: mate · march · can · stock · swing · perch · mine · rock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. march — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. swing — to play on

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