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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a path
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — a committee

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