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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rock — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — the fish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. calf — of the leg

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