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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: perch · stock · wound · branch · bear · jam · suit · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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