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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a grade
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — a partner
  14. press — to push
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stock — goods
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. racket — for tennis

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