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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · chest · press · fork · swing · date

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. date — the fruit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — to push
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — a box

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