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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. key — the most important part
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. board — a committee

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