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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — the earth
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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