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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — a publisher
  21. net — for catching
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — to be able to

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