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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. court — for sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lean — thin
  24. press — to push

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