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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. toast — bread
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — to get on
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — happy
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. dip — to dunk

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