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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — magic
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. press — to push
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pit — a hole
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. pitch — completely
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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