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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: pop · kick · bowl · calf · mouse · prune · race · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — humankind
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. tear — to rip
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bowl — a dish

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