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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: deal · file · scale · rest · ground · stand · leaves · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — in music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stock — goods
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ground — crushed

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