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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — a stick
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. content — videos and posts

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