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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.

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: file · band · stock · foot · fork · mug · rock · bat

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. foot — part of the body

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