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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 · pit · squash · ruler · bore · rush · cue · hand

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stock — shares
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — goods
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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