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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: foot · board · bear · calf · march · sharp · cap · can

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. march — music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — 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