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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: stock · date · tube · leaves · rest · club · hide · key

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — the most important part
  20. date — the fruit
  21. club — a group
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — what's left

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