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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: firm · staff · stock · pop · mate · wax · bound · race

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. staff — a stick
  3. firm — steady
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — employees
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. race — a contest
  19. wax — to grow
  20. firm — a company
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — to breed
  24. race — humankind

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