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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: pop · net · race · craft · ball · stem · tube · can

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — a container
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. net — for catching
  23. tube — the underground
  24. craft — a handicraft

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