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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. scale — in music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chair — a leader
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — a professorship

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