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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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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: jam · stick · temple · calf · craft · club · staff · kid

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kid — to tease
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — a group
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. kid — child
  22. craft — boats
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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