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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: stem · rock · net · calf · mine · pound · deal · mouse

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — in sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — after costs

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