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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. march — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — to play on
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — music

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