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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ground — the earth

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