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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: stock · bore · racket · calf · race · chip · hand · march

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — the month
  6. race — humankind
  7. stock — shares
  8. march — music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hand — help
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. race — a contest
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — to eat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — the month

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