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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a path
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — to handle
  21. press — to push
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — in traffic

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