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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: mark · bay · cue · race · stock · racket · bowl · roll

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. race — a contest
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. roll — a list
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. race — humankind
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cue — a signal

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