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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: ball · press · stick · calf · bowl · lie · rock · club

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. club — for golf
  22. rock — a stone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rock — to move gently

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