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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: lie · chair · stock · file · squash · fine · track · swing

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — goods
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — all right
  11. stock — shares
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. track — a song
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. file — a tool

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