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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · content · march · coach · mate · calf · object · stand

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — an aim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. content — the amount
  24. march — the month

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