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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: stock · net · race · object · bay · plane · saw · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — in sport
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. net — for catching
  10. race — the arms race
  11. object — an aim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. plane — a tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — after costs
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — to protest
  24. track — a path

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