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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. last — final
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. court — of a king
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. last — finally
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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