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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: bound · pitcher · saw · tear · charge · stock · pit · rush

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — a price

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