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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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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: date · rush · bore · dip · stock · rest · rock · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — a break
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — hurry
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — of the year
  24. stock — a soup base

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