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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: mouse · press · stock · fall · spell · club · rock · file

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stock — goods
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stock — shares
  15. spell — letters
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spell — a short time
  24. club — for golf

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