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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: mate · key · bowl · file · stock · cell · tube · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — to breed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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