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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: key · trunk · rush · fan · pit · net · firm · stock

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — a hole
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — hurry
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. firm — steady
  24. key — in music

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