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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. 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. prune — the fruit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — a cake
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. swing — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — farmland
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a dance
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — of the year
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. field — a subject
  24. 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