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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: mine · patient · rule · deal · file · saw · stock · stick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stock — shares
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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