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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.

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: squash · court · can · wax · mark · stem · calf · fork

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. can — to be able to
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a trace

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