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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.

Words on the sheet
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: lash · rock · pop · craft · kid · club · stock · net

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — after costs
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — boats
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kid — child
  20. net — for catching
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kid — to tease

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