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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. root — the cause
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. board — a committee
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — a box
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. root — of a plant
  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