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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: rash · craft · fine · rush · pitch · stock · lash · wound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — completely
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lash — an eyelash

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