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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: fall · bay · mark · content · jam · calf · saw · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fall — the season
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. game — a kind of play
  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