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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: mark · track · kid · calf · jam · degree · wave · file

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — to tease
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. file — a tool
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a line of people
  18. track — a path
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — a grade

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