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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kick — in football
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. march — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — with a leg

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