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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: file · bank · stock · pitcher · charge · hide · can · land

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — a country
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — a price
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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