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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: band · pop · fan · tear · race · key · stock · lean

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — in music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stock — shares
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — soda
  19. race — a contest
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — humankind
  24. band — a music group

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