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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: ball · jam · foot · calf · track · cue · spring · bulb

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ball — a dance
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — a hint

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