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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — a song
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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