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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — to push
  5. last — finally
  6. board — a committee
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. last — final
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chip — for betting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — to go on
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — in football

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