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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. band — a music group
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bass — low music
  15. spell — letters
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chip — for betting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a ring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — a young animal

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