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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mug — a cup
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mug — a face
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. press — newspapers

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