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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chip — to eat
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. band — a ring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a lid
  24. band — a music group

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