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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ball — a great time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — shares
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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