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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — music
  4. club — a group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — final
  21. club — for golf
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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