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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 120 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: mine · file · scale · stock · rush · rock · stick · sharp

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. scale — in music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — for digging
  8. file — a document
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rush — to hurry

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