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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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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: stick · capital · wake · foot · perch · calf · board · bay

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — to get on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — a measure
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — money
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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