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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of law
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — to bear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — on your feet

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