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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — a group
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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