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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — a phone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. perch — the fish
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cell — in biology
  24. degree — an amount

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