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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.

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: firm · saw · fine · ball · mine · file · stock · degree

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — shares
  9. firm — a company
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. degree — temperature
  15. file — a line of people
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — goods
  19. fine — all right
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. degree — from a university

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