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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — in a race
  7. clip — a video
  8. foot — a measure
  9. clip — for paper
  10. suit — clothes
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — to keep track
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a path
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. suit — to fit

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