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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: calf · board · cell · charge · pit · spring · bat · march

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. board — to get on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — of water
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. march — music
  24. cell — a phone

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