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

Word bank: cell · mark · ruler · bowl · stock · race

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — shares
  9. race — humankind
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — goods
  12. cell — a phone
  13. race — a contest
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — a monarch

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