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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — the month
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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