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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — child
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. craft — a skill
  8. file — a tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — to get on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. file — a document
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — a permit
  21. scale — size or range
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to succeed

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