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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. press — a publisher
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — electricity
  10. firm — a company
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. clip — for paper
  14. firm — steady
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — decided
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — to push
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — a penalty

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