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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — the amount
  11. court — of law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. court — of a king
  18. content — happy
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — to breed

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