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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — to be able to
  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