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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: stand · ground · stem · jam · cue · leaves · cap · calf

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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