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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. object — an aim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — a law
  17. squash — the sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — government
  20. object — to protest
  21. race — humankind
  22. object — a thing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — a contest

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