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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rule — government
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rule — a law
  15. toast — bread
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. toast — the most admired

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