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

Word bank: press · pitcher · bark · pound · snap · calf

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — to shout
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. calf — of the leg
  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