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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: ruler · kid · press · club · stem · foot · cue · calf

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kid — child
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. press — newspapers

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