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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 · rock · chair · cold · present · pit · rash · calf

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — a series
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cold — not warm
  9. chair — a leader
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. present — there
  18. board — a committee
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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