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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 120 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — a sports field

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