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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: jam · ground · stand · file · race · stock · tear · mug

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — goods
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tear — to rip
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. mug — to rob
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ground — the earth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stand — to bear
  21. race — a contest
  22. stock — shares
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. file — a document

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