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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · mine · rush · date · nail · coach · dip · ruler

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — shares
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — to hurry

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