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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. deal — to handle
  9. content — the amount
  10. chair — a leader
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. key — the most important part

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