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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: bowl · file · net · band · bulb · track · stock · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. file — a document
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fork — in a road
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. file — a tool
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — goods

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