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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — to push
  3. face — to point toward
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — letters
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — to visit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — for measuring

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