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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. press — to push
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wind — moving air
  20. present — there
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — goods

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