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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. board — a committee
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — for sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. band — a music group
  24. field — a subject

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