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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: fine · race · press · stock · scale · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fine — all right
  3. stock — shares
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. race — humankind
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — a company
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — newspapers
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race

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