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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: jam · cell · net · bound · mark · fork · clip · calf

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — in a road
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. clip — a video
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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