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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. club — a group
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ball — a great time
  14. roll — a list
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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