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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a dish

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