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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
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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: rock · ball · stock · snap · race · jam · bark · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a great time
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to click
  11. race — humankind
  12. stock — shares
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rock — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rock — a stone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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