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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: straw · fan · wound · stock · rush · race · key · track

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. key — in music
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. race — a contest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a path
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — the most important part
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — to keep track
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — humankind
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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