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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. court — of law
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. race — humankind
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — shares
  22. court — for sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — goods

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