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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: file · ruler · sharp · bowl · field · fan · stock · cue

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — a subject
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — goods
  15. field — for sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a document
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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