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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 116 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: lash · pound · stock · net · cabinet · file · craft · pass

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — goods
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stock — shares
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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