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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. track — to keep track
  10. field — a subject
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a path
  13. field — farmland
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. field — for sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — to succeed

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