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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — for pool
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — a publisher
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — of a word
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — a price

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