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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stock — goods
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mine — for digging
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rock — music
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — humankind
  24. saw — the tool

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