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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 116 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 · rest · bass · rule · stock · present · bore · craft

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — low music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. present — a gift
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — government
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — a law
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. present — there
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — the time now
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bore — to drill

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