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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: rock · race · stock · land · foot · saw · row · lean

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. land — to come down
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. land — ground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. row — a line
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — a country

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