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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: stock · drill · court · stem · calf · mark · staff · temple

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — of law
  10. stock — goods
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. drill — army training

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