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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: mouse · rush · stock · pound · foot · wind · mark · race

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pound — a weight
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — goods
  9. race — a contest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stock — shares

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