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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of a king
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. court — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — to visit

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