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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: stock · nail · track · cabinet · content · race · coach · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — humankind
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a song
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — a path
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — goods
  24. coach — a trainer

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