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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. roll — a list

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