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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: object · jam · land · stock · scale · stand · race · fine

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. object — to protest
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. land — to come down
  9. object — a thing
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — a country
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — an aim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — a contest
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stock — goods
  19. land — ground
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stock — shares
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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