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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. snap — to click
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. press — to push
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — a publisher
  18. calf — of the leg

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