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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. present — the time now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — there
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — a gift
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. lie — to recline

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