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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 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — in sport
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — to play on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — in golf
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — steady
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — part of the body

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