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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: stock · lean · bank · pop · game · tear · pass · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — goods
  6. lean — thin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — a contest

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