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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — a publisher
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — ground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — from a university
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — temperature

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