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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: race · bulb · roll · cabinet · bore · calf · stand · net

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — a list
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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