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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: board · stock · bulb · leaves · march · racket · wound · trunk

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — shares
  5. march — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — to get on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a committee
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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