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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — of the year
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. can — to be able to
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — a contest
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ground — a position

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