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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: wake · current · snap · stock · net · pass · temple · race

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. race — the arms race
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. current — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — electric
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — happening now
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — in sport
  24. stock — a soup base

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