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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: lie · tube · stock · object · ground · file · squash · pound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. object — a thing
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — a position
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — shares

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