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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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. season — in 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