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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — in a race
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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