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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: stock · calf · wax · pound · stem · chair · court · ground

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stock — goods
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of a king
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — a position
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — to grow
  19. court — of law
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stock — shares

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