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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. toast — bread
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. season — in sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. calf — a young animal

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