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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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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: wind · stock · stick · mug · mark · pit · race · ground

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ground — a position
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. race — humankind
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wind — moving air
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stock — shares
  24. ground — crushed

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