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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. roll — a list
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. roll — a cake
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — a permit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — temperature

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