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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — low music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. content — the amount
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. content — happy
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. kick — in football
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — the instrument

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