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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a music group
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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