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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 116 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 stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — a thing
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pit — a hole
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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