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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: kick · object · foot · jam · calf · mark · season · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — of the year
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. object — to protest
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. current — of water
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — a measure

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