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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 120 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: fall · file · ruler · stock · chest · stem · chip · scale

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. scale — in music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — for betting
  24. file — a document

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