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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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