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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: roll · row · race · stock · straw · rash · ball · scale

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — a series
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. row — a line
  17. stock — shares
  18. race — a contest
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — in music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — a quarrel

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