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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 · swing · stock · racket · pound · race · bound · leaves

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. race — humankind
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — shares
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — certain
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  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