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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: stock · coach · race · snap · shower · pop · racket · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — rain
  10. stock — shares
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — to wash
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — a loud noise

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