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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: stand · calf · saw · bowl · racket · stem · foot · chip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stem — of a plant

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