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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. date — the fruit
  3. drill — army training
  4. board — to get on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — the tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. foot — a measure
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — a permit

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