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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: kid · calf · cap · lean · club · roll · jam · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. roll — a list
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — a hat
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. club — for golf
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kid — child
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — a group

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