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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — boats
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cell — a phone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chip — for betting
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cell — in biology
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. cell — in a prison

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