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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — for sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — of a river
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — a subject
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — crushed
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — in traffic

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