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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 · nail · roll · lash · mug · pitcher · court · jam

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. court — of law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. court — for sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — of a king
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mug — a cup
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stock — shares
  24. nail — for a hammer

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