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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.

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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 · rule · straw · mark · lash · pound · key · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a trace
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — the most important part
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — in music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — government
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — dry grass

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