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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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468
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: track · pitcher · bark · kick · stock · leaves · perch · wound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — a path
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kick — a thrill

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