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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 120 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: mark · calf · band · stem · nail · content · chair · net

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — a leader
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — to come from

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