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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 120 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: fan · pitcher · calf · scale · club · press · pop · net

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — to push
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. net — for catching
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for golf
  24. scale — for weighing

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