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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bass — low music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. game — a match
  13. object — to protest
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — the season
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — an aim
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. object — a thing

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