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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: mate · racket · bear · wind · race · stock · ground · jam

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — a position
  8. wind — moving air
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. race — a contest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stock — goods
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mate — a partner
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ground — the earth

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