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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.

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: ball · foot · chip · stock · rush · spring · pit · saw

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a great time
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — goods
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — a thrill

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