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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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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: rest · bowl · charge · tear · roll · calf · race · stock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tear — to rip
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. race — a contest
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — a list
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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