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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. object — a thing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. object — an aim
  21. scale — in music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a hole

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