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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: sharp · mouse · charge · bark · land · file · dip · stock

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — to shout
  7. land — ground
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. file — a tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to sink

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