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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 120 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: rush · suit · deal · prune · can · file · stock · cabinet

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a line of people
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. file — a tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a document

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