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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — government
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — a law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — music
  24. press — a publisher

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