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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — to go away

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