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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: net · rush · last · dip · jam · tear · racket · stock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. last — final
  3. net — in sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — for catching
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. last — finally
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. tear — to rip
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — to go on
  24. jam — a tight spot

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