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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 120 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: squash · pass · leaves · bark · racket · stock · pit · race

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. race — the arms race
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. race — humankind
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — a contest
  24. bark — of a tree

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