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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: rash · pit · bay · stock · firm · snap · tube · spring

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. firm — decided
  11. stock — shares
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — the season
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tube — the underground

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