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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — there
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — the time now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — low music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. present — a gift

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