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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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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: charge · stock · ground · dip · plane · file · rule · sharp

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — a law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — government
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — clever
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ground — the earth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — a price
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a line of people

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