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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rest — a break
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. fine — high quality

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