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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: ground · stock · fan · chip · lash · pound · lean · rock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stock — shares
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — thin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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