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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. club — for golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  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