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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: can · staff · toast · march · prune · file · stock · leaves

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stock — shares
  7. file — a line of people
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stock — goods
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — the most admired

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