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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: leaves · perch · roll · stock · track · capital · suit · chip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. capital — money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — a city
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — in cards
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — a cake
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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