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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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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: kick · mouse · file · rule · chair · stock · wake · pit

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — government
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — shares
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. file — a tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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