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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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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. squash — the sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — tied together
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — goods
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — humankind
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. race — a contest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — a trainer

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