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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — money
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — a hint
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. spring — a coil
  14. scale — in music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — of water
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. present — there
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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