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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — a group
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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