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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
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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: date · temple · suit · file · fall · chip · stock · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — to fit
  3. file — a document
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fall — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — goods
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a line of people
  18. date — the fruit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — to eat
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. date — on the calendar

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