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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: bay · fork · pound · mouse · date · stock · race · pop

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stock — shares
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — goods
  8. race — humankind
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pop — music
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — a soup base

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