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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — to come from
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — a committee
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — after costs

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