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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — a country
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — a series
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — to come down
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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