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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: rest · stock · court · squash · craft · pound · lash · cap

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — a weight
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cap — a hat
  15. court — for sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — boats
  19. court — of law
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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