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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: nail · club · race · net · ball · pass · stock · craft

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — a permit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stock — shares
  9. craft — boats
  10. race — humankind
  11. net — in sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stock — goods
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — after costs
  16. ball — a great time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — for catching
  24. race — a contest

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