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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. fork — in a road
  11. firm — a company
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. firm — steady
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. firm — decided
  21. club — for dancing
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — for golf

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