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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. toast — bread
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stock — shares
  5. roll — a list
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — music
  24. roll — a cake

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