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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · fork

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mark — a grade
  24. land — a country

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