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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: bark · file · arm · stock · suit · coach · date · kid

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — child
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. file — a document
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — to fit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. file — a tool

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