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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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468
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: net · lash · swing · wave · stock · staff · object · fork

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stock — goods
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. net — after costs
  13. object — to protest
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. object — an aim
  24. swing — in golf

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