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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 · stock · content · mug · object · rock · bowl

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — the amount
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. object — a thing
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. object — an aim
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — goods
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — to rip

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