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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — a weight
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — of the year
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. season — in sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — to hit hard

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