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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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468
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: rest · stock · ground · pitcher · lash · plane · mine · can

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ground — a position
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitcher — a jug

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