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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — to push
  5. stock — shares
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — the month
  14. lean — to bend
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — goods
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — a professorship

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