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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 · bound · fine · current · mine · stock · deal · land

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — electric
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bound — certain
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stock — goods
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — for digging
  22. land — a country
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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