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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · calf · arm · net · stem · pass · prune · field

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — for sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. field — a subject
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. prune — to trim
  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