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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: rash · object · toast · wake · race · present · band · stock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — an aim
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. race — a contest
  12. object — to protest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. toast — bread
  15. band — a ring
  16. race — humankind
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. present — there
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rash — a series
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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