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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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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 · lash · mate · pound · pit · craft · court · can

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pound — a weight
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — to breed
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lash — to lash out

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