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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 120 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: fall · calf · mark · firm · ball · race · pop · ground

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pop — soda
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — steady
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — the season
  23. race — the arms race
  24. calf — of the leg

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