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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitch — completely
  20. tube — the underground
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — with an edge

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