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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. swing — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — to play on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — a law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bank — for money

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