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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: file · wind · lash · bark · rock · stock · chip · bass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stock — goods
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stock — shares
  24. bark — to shout

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