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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. board — a committee
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. march — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — to get on
  8. ground — crushed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — the month
  15. ground — a position
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — there
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ground — the earth

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