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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. field — for sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. field — a subject
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — of the 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