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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — a skill
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — ground
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — boats
  20. land — a country
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — to push
  24. fine — high quality

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