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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · wake · jam · racket · pop · fine · trunk · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — bread
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wake — a trail

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