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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: kick · jam · spring · scale · firm · pop · calf · plane

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — of water
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — steady
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kick — in football
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. scale — in music
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — with a 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