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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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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: court · stand · calf · net · dip · fine · wind · stem

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. net — in sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — to bear
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. court — of a king
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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