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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. suit — to fit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — help
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a song
  10. land — a country
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. suit — clothes
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — a path
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. perch — the fish

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