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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · cabinet · can · tube · field · race · bowl · calf

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. can — to be able to
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — a subject
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. field — farmland
  14. race — a contest
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bowl — to roll

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