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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pop — music
  21. track — a song
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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