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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — of ice
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cap — a lid

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