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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · pitcher · club · suit · press · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — crushed
  5. suit — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ground — a position
  8. press — newspapers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — the earth
  15. club — a group
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — a publisher

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