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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: row · calf · net · ground · current · ball · race · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — for catching
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. current — electric
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — happening now
  20. row — a line
  21. net — after costs
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — of water

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