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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — there
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. field — farmland
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — in a road
  15. field — a subject
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — the amount
  20. field — for sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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