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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. capital — a city
  3. stem — to come from
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. field — for sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — money
  14. field — a subject
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. calf — of the leg

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