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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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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: stand · land · stock · bowl · band · perch · deal · file

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — the fish
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — a country
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a document
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stock — shares

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