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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — a series
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — hasty

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