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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: rock · stock · calf · bound · trunk · perch · band · arm

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. bound — certain
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — shares
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — goods
  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