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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — finally
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — the fish
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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