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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · wound · stock · perch · face · sharp · cue · stick

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — shares
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stock — goods
  16. march — the month
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — a soup base

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