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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pit — a hole
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — a subject
  9. net — in sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — in a race
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. field — farmland
  19. hand — help
  20. plane — a tool
  21. field — for sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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