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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: stem · staff · calf · court · bound · march · kick · firm

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. court — of law
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. firm — decided
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — steady
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — a company
  18. march — the month
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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