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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: nail · race · fork · hide · jam · stock · wax · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — shares
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. race — humankind
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fork — to eat with

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