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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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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: rule · mate · roll · craft · calf · pit · season · chest

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — government
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. chest — a box
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — a law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — to breed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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