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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — happy
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. staff — employees
  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