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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: chair · rash · pitch · prune · safe · object · stock · rush

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. object — a thing
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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