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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: mouse · wind · pop · trunk · net · race · bear · court

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — humankind
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. pop — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. court — for sport

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