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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. season — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — music
  20. land — a country
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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