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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.

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 · board · bowl · root · suit · sharp · cell

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cell — a phone
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — shares
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — the cause
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cell — in biology
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — to fit

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