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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: cabinet · game · hide · present · stem · calf · pitcher · date

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — there
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a match
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — the fruit

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