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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — in a race
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a hat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a lid
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — clothes
  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