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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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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 · lash · bowl · kid · rock · stock · pit · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — shares
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — child

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