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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: bay · trunk · pass · pitch · stock · rush · lie · cell

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — a soup base

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