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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 116 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. board — to get on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — there
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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