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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. firm — a company
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — decided
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — to come from
  24. march — music

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