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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: rush · wind · bass · deal · lash · court · stock · pit

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. court — for sport
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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