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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a lid
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. root — of a word
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. drill — army training
  11. root — the cause
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — a leader
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — to drop

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