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

Word bank: calf · tear · fork · deal · court · pit · race · ruler

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — for sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — in a road

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