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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — a cake
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. toast — bread
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a dance
  23. roll — a list
  24. stand — for spectators

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