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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. field — for sport
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — completely
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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