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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — for money
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — a sick person

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