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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: prune · file · scale · mug · date · fan · wave · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a document
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. file — a line of people
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — goods
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. prune — the fruit

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