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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: rush · stock · lie · net · date · chair

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — shares
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — the fruit

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