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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — shares
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stand — to bear
  20. degree — temperature
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — after costs
  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