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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — music
  3. land — ground
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. march — the month
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitch — completely
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. land — a country
  24. band — a ring

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