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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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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: pit · roll · stick · racket · lash · dip · stock · rule

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — government
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a list
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stock — goods
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — a cake

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