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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 · sharp · court · stock · bowl · firm · can · fork

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — a tin
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — in a road
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. firm — a company
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of a king
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. file — a tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. file — a document
  23. court — of law
  24. bowl — to roll

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