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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: row · suit · stock · file · mouse · bass · patient · lean

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. row — a line
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. file — a document
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — goods
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. file — a tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lean — to rest against

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