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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 · stock · temple · fine · date · sharp · mark · drill

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — army training
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — goods
  13. file — a document
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. file — a tool

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