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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: rush · file · craft · stock · ball · rock · pit · kid

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rock — a stone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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