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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: tear · pit · date · rash · pass · stock · squash · pitch

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — shares
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — on the skin

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