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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — of the year
  9. court — of a king
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. craft — a skill

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