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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: march · perch · sharp · stock · mark · bank · saw · present

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — there
  3. perch — the fish
  4. present — the time now
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — goods
  9. march — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. present — a gift

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