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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rule — government
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — farmland
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. sharp — clever
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pop — music

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