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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 116 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: mine · pop · stock · can · calf · race · board · ball

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — shares
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. race — a contest
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — humankind
  19. can — to be able to
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — music

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