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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: calf · stem · date · current · cap · charge · row · squash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — electric
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — of water
  22. date — the fruit
  23. charge — in control
  24. row — a quarrel

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