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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a signal

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