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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 116 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 · lean · racket · spell · file · mouse · saw · bowl

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — to roll

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