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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. season — in sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — boats
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — to bear
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fine — all right
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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