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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: prune · march · stock · file · ruler · stand · row · hide

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a document
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. file — a line of people

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