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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 120 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: ball · stem · mate · stock · pit · foot · rush · drill

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a friend
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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