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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
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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: pitcher · track · calf · key · snap · suit · court · stem

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stem — to come from
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — the most important part
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — of law
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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