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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — there
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. rock — a stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — to come down
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — in a road
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — a tool
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — ground
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. club — a group
  24. prune — the fruit

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