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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stock · capital · bore · chip · last · rock · pit

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. file — a document
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. capital — a city
  10. file — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stock — goods
  18. capital — money
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pit — a hole

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