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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 120 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: file · leaves · rest · deal · mug · stock · degree · current

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. degree — temperature
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stock — goods
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mug — a cup
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. current — happening now

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