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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — hasty
  24. calf — a young animal

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