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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: file · board · rush · stock · fine · mark · pitcher · chair

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. file — a tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a leader
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — all right
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a document
  24. pitcher — a jug

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