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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 · bowl · land · file · sharp · fall · stem · firm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — ground
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. file — a document
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stock — goods
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. land — a country

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