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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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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: pop · stock · row · kid · mark · fall · pit · rule

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — shares
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rule — government
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fall — the season
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — child
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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