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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 120 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: craft · racket · lash · bound · cap · stock · key · can

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stock — goods
  5. craft — boats
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — certain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. key — in music

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