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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 116 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: track · bore · court · pass · chip · race · ruler · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — goods
  4. bore — to tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — of law
  15. race — humankind
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. track — a song
  22. race — a contest
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ruler — a monarch

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