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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — goods
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — a publisher
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. press — to push
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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