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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: racket · track · bass · lie · rest · stock · race · wave

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — low music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stock — shares
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — a contest
  18. rest — a break
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — goods
  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