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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: lash · field · stock · squash · sharp · ball · current · rock

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. current — electric
  9. field — farmland
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a dance
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — of water
  14. field — a subject
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — shares
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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