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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: lash · bowl · track · net · key · pound · rash · stand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a song
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — a path
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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