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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — of a king
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — in a road
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. pop — to visit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. jam — a tight spot

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