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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. board — a committee
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. suit — in cards
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. suit — clothes
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — to get on

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