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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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468
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 · firm · fine · bat · bulb · stock · wake · rash

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — shares
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — hasty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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