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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — a subject
  10. wax — to grow
  11. capital — a city
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. press — to push
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — for sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — music

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