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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: calf · press · game · swing · wake · roll · bay · pop

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. 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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — a list
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pop — soda
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. 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