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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: mug · race · track · pit · bark · wound · stock · bass

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. stock — shares
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mug — a face
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a song
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — in a race
  19. track — a path
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — low music
  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