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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — in music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cue — a hint
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — a committee
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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