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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 116 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
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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: kick · bank · coach · land · board · perch · stock · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. land — a country
  10. stock — goods
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — shares
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — for a bird

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