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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — rain
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. race — humankind
  5. stock — goods
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. race — the arms race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — to roll

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