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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pop — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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