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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: object · file · cell · stock · stick · pit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. file — a line of people
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a document
  16. object — a thing
  17. file — a tool
  18. object — to protest

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