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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. race — a contest
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — a country
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. land — to come down
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — for tennis

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