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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for golf
  7. clip — a video
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a committee
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. kick — a thrill

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