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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — in music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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