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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: cabinet · rush · race · row · spring · pop · calf · pitch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — completely
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. row — to paddle
  9. race — a contest
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — of water
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a line
  20. pop — soda
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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