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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — magic
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. spell — letters
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pop — soda
  22. current — electric
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — with a leg

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