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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pound — a weight

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