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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — a weight

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