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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. toast — bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — to tire
  8. degree — from a university
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — of the leg

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