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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — a break
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — to get on
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — to play on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — crushed

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