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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: rock · bore · stock · pit · cue · field · lie · calf

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rock — music
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — a subject
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. field — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cue — a signal
  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