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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — completely
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fork — to eat with

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