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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — in a race
  16. court — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — of water
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. last — final
  24. spring — the season

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