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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: stock · ground · mate · content · file · chip · mug · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — a face
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — shares

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