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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — a position
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wind — moving air

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