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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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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: firm · drill · stock · field · wave · dip · pass · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — farmland
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. race — a contest
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to sink
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — for sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — humankind
  23. firm — a company
  24. field — a subject

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