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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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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: firm · stem · present · pound · squash · vault · scale · calf

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — there
  6. scale — size or range
  7. present — the time now
  8. stem — to come from
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. present — a gift
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pound — to hit hard

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