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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — newspapers
  4. degree — an amount
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — part of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. face — to point toward
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. face — to confront
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — to push
  23. field — a subject
  24. leaves — of a tree

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