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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: perch · band · coach · pitch · hand · leaves · stock · rush

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — goods
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — completely
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hand — help
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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