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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 · fine · racket · calf · rest · snap · cap · court

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — of law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — high quality
  12. court — for sport
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a hat
  18. court — of a king
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — a break
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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