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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — newspapers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — a trail
  11. press — to push
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bark — to shout
  21. roll — a list
  22. rule — government
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ball — a great time

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