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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: prune · nail · stock · chest · bowl · file · toast · degree

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chest — a box
  10. degree — an amount
  11. file — a document
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — temperature
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chest — of your body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. toast — bread

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