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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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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: band · board · bat · rock · roll · stand · mark · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stand — to bear
  5. band — a ring
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. roll — a list
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. band — a music group
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bat — the animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. board — to get on
  24. rock — 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