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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pop — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — a price
  17. drill — army training
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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