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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · rash · row · coach · fork · racket

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fork — in a road
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mug — a cup
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — goods
  22. mug — a face
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a line

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