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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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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 · bank · rock · mouse · stock · snap · land · trunk

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — the arms race
  3. land — to come down
  4. stock — goods
  5. rock — music
  6. land — ground
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — shares
  23. land — a country
  24. race — a contest

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