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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — to play on
  12. race — a contest
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — humankind
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. spring — a coil
  21. swing — in golf
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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