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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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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: rock · stock · firm · bat · trunk · ball · nail · lash

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. firm — steady
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — a company
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — shares
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a great time

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