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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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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: clip · racket · field · press · vault · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. press — to push
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — farmland
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. field — a subject
  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