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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 116 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: stock · bear · pit · swing · rush · mate · craft · tear

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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