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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: track · capital · stem · bowl · calf · lie · game · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — money
  8. game — a match
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. capital — a city
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — to recline
  24. track — a path

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