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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — for golf
  12. capital — a city
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — money
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — letters
  23. club — a group
  24. capital — a big letter

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