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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. club — a group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — to push
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. press — a publisher
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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