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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — a publisher
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — after costs
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — in sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — help
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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