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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. court — of a king
  22. rest — a break
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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