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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 120 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a line
  3. land — a country
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — in a road
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — music

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