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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 120 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: racket · wave · cabinet · stick · file · stock · leaves · tube

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a line of people
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — the underground
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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