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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pop — soda
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pop — to visit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  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