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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — to push
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — electric
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ball — a dance

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