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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — a position
  16. band — a music group
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — an agreement

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