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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. roll — a list
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — magic
  21. roll — a cake
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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