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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of a king
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — for sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. calf — a young animal

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