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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — in music
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — in a road
  10. key — the most important part
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — to get on
  13. club — for golf
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — a group
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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