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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 · field · wake · pit · drill · stock · fine · prune

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — a subject
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. field — for sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — a trail
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — farmland
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. drill — the tool

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