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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — low music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — the fish
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — electric
  24. 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