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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: mouse · file · cap · clip · stock · coach · sharp · safe

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a document
  3. cap — a lid
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. clip — for paper
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stock — goods
  24. clip — a video

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