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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
468
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: rock · march · stock · trunk · bat · bay · firm · perch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. march — music
  8. stock — goods
  9. rock — a stone
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — for baseball

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