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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: spell · bay · land · calf · stock · game · wound · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — ground
  5. spell — letters
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stock — shares
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stock — goods

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