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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · bank · mate · racket · scale · bark · file · leaves

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stock — goods
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a partner
  22. scale — in music
  23. bark — to shout
  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