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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 · pop · bay · calf · sharp · march · mark · land

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — a grade
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pop — music
  18. land — ground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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