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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: bear · file · suit · stock · land · roll · cabinet · press

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. roll — a list
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. file — a tool
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — a cake
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — newspapers
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a line of people

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