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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — to get on
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. deal — an agreement

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