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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: stock · scale · file · coach · fine · suit · track · chest

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. file — a document
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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