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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — ground
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — a contest
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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