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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — goods
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pit — a hole
  17. degree — an amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — temperature
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. vault — a safe
  24. root — of a plant

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