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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: march · cap · jam · racket · temple · calf · wound · foot

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. march — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cap — a lid
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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