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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — a video
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — wild animals
  10. land — a country
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. perch — the fish
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — a young animal

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