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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. game — a match
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — newspapers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — there
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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