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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: firm · wave · bat · tube · mouse · file · key · stock

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — goods
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stock — shares
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. file — a line of people
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — a container
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. key — in music
  23. firm — a company
  24. wave — with your hand

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