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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · bear · calf · board · land · coach

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — a country
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. board — a committee

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