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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — completely
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. march — music
  15. court — of a king
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — a law

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