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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.

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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: wound · stock · file · wave · band · bulb · racket · mate

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stock — shares
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. file — a document
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — goods
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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