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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: stock · rush · lie · hand · rock · dip · date · ball

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hand — help
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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