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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. 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. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a list
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — in football
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. roll — a cake
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — soda
  18. 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