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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: net · race · can · bulb · lash · key · stock · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. key — for a lock
  8. race — a contest
  9. mate — a partner
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. net — after costs
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. race — humankind
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mate — to breed

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