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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: wave · race · stock · cabinet · court · bank · rest · pound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. court — of a king
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of law

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