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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. perch — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — happy
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. cue — a hint
  14. drill — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — army training
  19. current — electric
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — for pool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — a practice

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