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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of law
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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