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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: straw · race · club · stock · racket · rush · scale · lean

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. scale — in music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. race — humankind
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. race — a contest
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — hurry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. race — the arms race
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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