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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: bulb · club · lash · stock · cue · net · rash · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — a series
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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