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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 · spring · scale · calf · pass · straw · fork · foot

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. spring — the season
  24. calf — of the leg

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