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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — a company
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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