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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. content — happy
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — a song
  6. content — the amount
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — a path
  15. spring — of water
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — a weight
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — a coil

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