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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. ground — a position
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — the amount
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — crushed
  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