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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bound — certain
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — a hat
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a committee
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — the tool

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