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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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Word bank
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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 · race · toast · file · stock · racket

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stock — goods
  7. file — a document
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. file — a tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal

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