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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: pitcher · rest · mark · mug · row · stock · bat · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mug — a face
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rest — a break
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stock — goods
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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