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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: perch · toast · pass · field · file · rule · stock · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. toast — bread
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. field — farmland
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — a subject
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. field — for sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stock — shares

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