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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 · band · lash · tube · rock · bowl · court · pit

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. court — of a king
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. court — of law
  19. tube — a container
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. band — a ring

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