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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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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: bat · race · firm · mine · calf · bank · straw · scale

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — the arms race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — humankind
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — a company
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — steady
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — size or range

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