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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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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: date · chair · game · stem · pitcher · calf · rock · jam

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — a stone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — a match

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