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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — child
  3. kick — in football
  4. deal — to handle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. track — to keep track
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. track — a song
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — to tease
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — on your feet

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