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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 116 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: race · bear · racket · pitch · lash · wind · land · stock

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. land — to come down
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stock — goods
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — ground
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stock — shares
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. pitch — a sports field

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