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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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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: mine · rock · pop · bark · press · calf · squash · cabinet

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — a stone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — to push
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rock — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pop — music

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