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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: stock · leaves · perch · chair · arm · bank · capital · lash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. perch — the fish
  11. capital — a city
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. capital — money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — part of the body

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