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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: stock · firm · board · last · racket · mine · lash · roll

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — decided
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. roll — a cake
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — finally
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. last — to go on
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — to get on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. roll — a list
  24. last — final

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