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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: rush · stock · chair · prune · cue · nail · cabinet · bore

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — a leader
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bore — gave birth

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