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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · staff · ground · stock · rest · toast · net · perch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — bread
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. file — a document
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. net — after costs
  19. rest — a break
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. toast — the most admired

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