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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: stock · racket · prune · dip · pitcher · pit · bat · jam

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stock — goods
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — to sink
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — for baseball

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