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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: march · file · arm · stem · stock · perch · race · tube

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. race — humankind
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. race — a contest
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — goods
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. race — the arms race

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