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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · stand · calf · arm · mate · season

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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