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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — newspapers
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — to push
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. perch — the fish

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