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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: net · calf · current · race · mouse · tear · coach · roll

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. race — a contest
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — humankind
  7. current — electric
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — to rip
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — a cake

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