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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: mark · race · band · stock · shower · plane · bowl · date

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a music group
  6. stock — goods
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a grade
  17. plane — a tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stock — shares
  23. race — humankind
  24. bowl — a football final

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