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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: squash · track · game · rest · race · stock · saw · bore

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to drill
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — the tool

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