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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. press — to push
  5. court — of law
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — newspapers
  13. court — for sport
  14. march — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mouse — the animal

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