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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — the season
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — an explosive

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