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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — in football
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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