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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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