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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bass — low music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — in music
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — a contest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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