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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: racket · saw · bore · deal · foot · current · stock · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — a measure
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stock — goods
  24. foot — part of the body

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