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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · track · bear · sharp · leaves · file · pitcher · ground

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  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