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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — a city
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — to shout
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — newspapers

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