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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — goods
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stem — of a plant

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