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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a hint
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. present — a gift
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. press — a publisher
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — newspapers

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