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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — soda
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — a position
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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