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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. press — newspapers
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — to shout
  19. present — there
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. stock — goods
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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