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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — a trace
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — boats
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — on a finger

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