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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — the tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pop — to visit
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — soda
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. craft — boats
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — a stick
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pop — music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — in biology

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