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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: spell · calf · march · swing · cabinet · root · can · race

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. root — of a word
  9. march — the month
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — humankind
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — music
  24. swing — 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