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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: racket · stock · saw · cue · content · calf · race · firm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — a contest
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — a company
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a signal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. firm — decided
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. stock — shares

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