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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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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: land · calf · march · stem · date · stand · rush · fine

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. march — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. land — ground
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. land — a country
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — high quality
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — to come down
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — a penalty

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