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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · race · chair · track · fan · mate · stock · rash

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. track — a song
  2. race — a contest
  3. stock — shares
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stock — goods
  7. race — the arms race
  8. track — a path
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — humankind
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — to breed
  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