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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: file · key · stock · wake · fine · saw · snap · pop

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. file — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. key — in music
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. pop — to visit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. file — a document
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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