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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. prune — to trim
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — goods
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stock — shares

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