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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. race — a contest
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pop — to visit
  8. roll — a cake
  9. charge — in control
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — a list
  17. race — humankind
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — to trim

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