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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stock — goods
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — a young animal

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