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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. march — the month
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — music
  10. press — to push
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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