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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. court — of law
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a lid
  10. court — for sport
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spring — of water
  22. cap — of ice
  23. court — of a king
  24. cap — a hat

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