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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
468
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 · bay · stock · lie · bore · court · mine · race

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stock — shares
  10. court — of a king
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — humankind
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — a contest
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — of law
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — a soup base

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