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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. press — to push
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — in music

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