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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — an illness
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. court — of a king
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bound — obliged
  22. court — of law
  23. cold — not warm
  24. club — a group

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