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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. court — of a king
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mark — a trace
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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