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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: stock · leaves · wax · suit · perch · present · bank · court

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — to grow
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — the time now
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — for sport
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — in cards

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