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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — a dish

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