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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — a country
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. press — a publisher
  24. racket — for tennis

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