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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 · fine · rush · content · leaves · court · bore · stock

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — all right
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stock — shares
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — for sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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