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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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