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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 120 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: rash · stock · pit · row · rule · wound · bay · sharp

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — a line
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — government
  15. stock — shares
  16. rule — a law
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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