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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 116 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: staff · file · mark · stock · squash · scale · nail · racket

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a document
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. squash — the sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — a soup base

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