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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 116 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: rock · stock · fork · mark · nail · ball · tube · race

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — goods
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — a contest
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — humankind
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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