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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — tied together
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. craft — a skill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — music

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