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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: key · tear · stock · pit · firm · racket · suit · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — clothes
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stock — goods
  8. key — in music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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