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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a path
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — to come down
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — hurry
  21. land — ground
  22. press — a publisher
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a song

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