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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · march · rush · perch · wound · court · stock · board

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a committee
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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