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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 · lean · bay · cap · current · cabinet · bat · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — a contest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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