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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — of a king
  12. game — wild animals
  13. present — there
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — to bear

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