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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. press — to push
  5. mate — a friend
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — government
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to click
  16. mate — to breed
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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