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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: pit · present · bore · calf · date · toast · safe · swing

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. swing — music
  16. present — there
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. swing — to play on
  24. calf — of the leg

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