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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: jam · file · stock · stand · bore · saw · degree · clip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — an amount
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. file — a line of people
  14. degree — from a university
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — temperature

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