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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: mark · roll · pit · ground · calf · snap · squash · jam

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — the earth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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