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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 · band · stock · rash · rock · lie · perch · track

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — a series
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — goods
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — to recline
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a ring
  11. file — a line of people
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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