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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 · stock · spell · object · ball · root · kick · chip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — a thing
  4. root — of a word
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — magic
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. root — of a plant

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