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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — to push
  10. current — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pop — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pop — soda
  17. last — finally
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — final
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. press — a publisher

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