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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hand — in cards
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — a tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hand — part of the body

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