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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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. board — a flat piece
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — bread
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — rain
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rest — a break
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — to get on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — to wash

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