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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: swing · plane · perch · band · stock · bark · fan · suit

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. swing — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. suit — to fit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — shares
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. plane — a tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. band — a ring

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