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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — a subject
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. perch — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — a container
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. march — music
  21. field — for sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. march — the month
  24. calf — a young animal

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