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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — goods
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stock — shares
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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