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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to tire
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — humankind
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — for catching
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. stand — to bear

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