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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wind · pitcher · mark · lash · key · court · file

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. court — for sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — goods
  11. key — in music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — shares
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a document
  24. wind — moving air

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