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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stock · craft · cabinet · pitcher · file · rush · mine · mug

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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