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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — of water
  16. field — a subject
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — happy
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. field — farmland
  23. press — to push
  24. net — for catching

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