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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: bark · foot · jam · file · stick · race · calf · dip

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bark — to shout
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a document

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