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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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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: root · rule · nail · rush · deal · present · stock · pit

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rush — hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. root — of a word
  9. stock — shares
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — goods
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — the cause
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. pit — in a race
  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