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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — in cards
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — with a leg

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