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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: rule · net · rash · stock · mark · pitch · tube · rush

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — a law
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — a trace
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — after costs
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — a container

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