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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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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stock — goods
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — a subject
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — for sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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