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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: leaves · ground · coach · perch · can · stock · vault · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. can — a tin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — shares
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — a position
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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