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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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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — music
  5. march — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — the month
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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