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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: scale · mine · stock · can · net · file · row · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — to paddle
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. can — to be able to
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — for digging
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — in music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. row — a line
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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