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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: board · deal · rest · firm · net · row · march · calf

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. 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. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — a break
  6. march — the month
  7. net — in sport
  8. march — music
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — to paddle
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. firm — steady
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — a company
  20. net — for catching
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — to get on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. 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