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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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