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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. court — of a king
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — of law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. staff — employees
  21. board — to get on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — for sport

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