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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kick — in football
  4. row — a line
  5. press — to push
  6. staff — a stick
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — with an edge

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