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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. clip — for paper
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — a video
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — to push
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. sharp — with an edge

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