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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — in music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — newspapers
  15. key — for a lock
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. foot — a measure
  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