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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — high quality
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — a publisher
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — all right
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — help
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  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