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

Word bank: calf · root · stock · cell · bay · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stock — shares
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — of a word

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