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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 · rash · rule · sharp · stem · stock · fine · jam

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rule — a law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rule — government
  8. stock — goods
  9. file — a tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rash — a series
  20. fine — high quality
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — exactly

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