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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 120 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: stick · stand · race · ball · spring · pop · trunk · can

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — the season
  13. pop — soda
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — of water
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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