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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 · rock · mug · sharp · court · stock · lash · racket

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. court — of a king
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — to rob
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rock — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — shares
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mug — a cup

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