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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — to push
  5. land — a country
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a hat
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a tool
  11. pop — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. file — a document
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — to trim

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