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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: fall · club · press · perch · rock · drill · chip · calf

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — army training
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fall — to drop

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