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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — finally
  8. board — to get on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — the cause
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — to go on
  24. bass — low music

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