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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · calf · date · object · cue · charge · season · pit

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — of the year
  3. object — an aim
  4. cue — a signal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of law
  7. cue — a hint
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. pit — in a race
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — on the calendar

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