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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: present · race · bound · stick · net · stock · track · ruler

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — obliged
  4. race — humankind
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — a contest
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — after costs
  13. present — there
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — in sport
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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