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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — for sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — a price
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — in sport
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — a break
  19. field — a subject
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — decided
  24. season — of the year

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