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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · stock · firm · safe · race · racket · pass · clip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. clip — a video
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — for paper
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — the arms race
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. firm — decided

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