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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — there
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — the time now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — music
  24. capital — a city

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