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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: rash · rest · net · craft · wake · ball · pass · stock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — a series
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. net — in sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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