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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — of a tree

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