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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: net · stock · date · sharp · pit · bore · squash · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stock — goods
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stock — shares

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