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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. club — for golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — of law
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. toast — bread
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of a tree

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