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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: row · stock · chip · mark · wake · rock · file · spring

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — a line
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stock — goods
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mark — to pay attention

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