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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. court — of law
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ground — a position
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — to rob
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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