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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: ground · calf · rash · row · bowl · field · fine · race

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fine — all right
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — a subject
  8. race — a contest
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. race — humankind
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. field — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rash — a series

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