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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: chair · firm · bay · stock · band · track · file · spell

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a path
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. band — a ring
  20. stock — shares
  21. file — a tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — letters

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