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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 · bank · pop · spell · file · racket · snap · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a document
  3. rock — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pop — soda
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — a stone

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