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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 120 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: pitcher · stock · craft · racket · lash · cold · can · coach

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — a skill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cold — not warm
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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