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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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