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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — a group
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — for golf
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — boats
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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