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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · staff · sharp · pitch · rush · fine · tear · file

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tear — to rip
  3. file — a tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. file — a document
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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