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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wake · rash · swing · pitcher · bear · chest · pit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rash — hasty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — a box
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rash — a series
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pitcher — a jug

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