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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.

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: pitcher · bay · hand · chair · calf · safe · board · branch

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — help
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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