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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · fine · stock · can · file · deal · arm · rash

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. file — a tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. stock — shares
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. stock — goods
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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