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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — a cup
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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