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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · game · lash · net · fork · stock · deal · key

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — shares
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — goods
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. net — for catching
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — to lash out

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