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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: cell · jam · present · bowl · clip · stock · file · staff

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stock — goods
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — to cut
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — employees
  19. clip — a video
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bowl — to roll

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