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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. ground — crushed
  7. present — there
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — of law
  19. present — a gift
  20. stem — to come from
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stem — of a plant

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