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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: rush · mouse · chair · track · hand · pit · hide · stock

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — help
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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