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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: mate · row · pit · land · ruler · stock · wound · dip

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — a hole
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — shares
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. land — to come down
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stock — goods

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