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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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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: race · plane · stock · rest · ground · bay · pass · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ground — crushed
  4. plane — a tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rest — a break
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — a soup base

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