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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cell — a phone
  23. net — after costs
  24. fan — a supporter

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