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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: mark · charge · stock · race · fork · pop · plane · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fork — in a road
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — humankind
  13. mark — a grade
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. charge — a price
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — music

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