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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — in a road
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — a trace
  24. craft — boats

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