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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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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: craft · ground · row · racket · press · key · stem · calf

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — the most important part
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. press — to push
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — boats
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. stem — a stem cell

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