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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. press — to push
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — to visit
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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