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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. press — to push
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — clothes
  16. content — happy
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. fall — the season
  24. pitch — completely

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