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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. court — of law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — in a race
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pit — a hole
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — boats
  24. hide — animal skin

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