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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — soda
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — to go on

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